


Inevitable

by talesfromthesnogbox



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Confident Eddie Kaspbrak, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mention of past stozier, Mentions of Sex, Nervous Richie Tozier, awkwardness ensues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27781126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesfromthesnogbox/pseuds/talesfromthesnogbox
Summary: The transition from friends to lovers is awkward, sure, but Richie and Eddie were inevitable.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	Inevitable

So they’d finally done it. Feelings were laid out on the table, hearts were bared for the other to see, and unsurprisingly to everyone _except_ the two in question, were mutual. Richie loved Eddie, and Eddie loved Richie, and now here they were, too stunned to continue forward.

“So… so you really love me?”

Eddie laughed, a deep blush colouring his cheeks. “Yes asshole, I just said it, like a minute ago.” The man tentatively linked his fingers with his friend’s, avoiding his eyes. “This is what you meant when you said it first though… right? Like… love, not like ‘I love you man’, but like…”

Richie’s breath hitched. The sound worried the lines of Eddie’s face deeper, and he started to pull his hand away, but Richie’s grip tightened. “Yeah Eds, that… that was real. I’m _in_ love with you.”

A large smile crossed Eddie’s face again at hearing that, and he buried his face in Richie’s shoulder. “I never thought I’d hear that. God, in all the years we’ve been friends, how many times I just wanted to _kiss_ you—”

“You wanted to kiss me?” Richie murmured against Eddie’s hair.

“Of course I did. Even when we were kids. I thought it was a little weird I didn’t want to kiss Bill or Stan or any of them, but—”

“You _didn’t_? Damn Eddie, I thought _I_ was the blind one here. Stan’s a straight up fox. Hell, I _did_ kiss Stan once or twice, or maybe—”

“You kissed Stan?” It was Eddie’s turn to cut Richie off.

“Yeah dude, we were each other’s first kiss. Get it out of the way and all, you know? But, table it for another time. You wanted to kiss me when we were kids?”

“I did. I was too chickenshit to actually do anything though, and I so badly wanted to believe I was straight because of all the bullshit my mother told me. But you made it hard to listen to her.”

“Ha! I knew you thought I was irresistible.”

“Fuck off.” Eddie shoved him lightly, making him fall back on the couch, before following him down and snuggling into his side.

“We fell asleep in the hammock like this more than a few times.” Richie mused, slinging his arm around Eddie’s shoulders, and holding his hand where it rested on his chest.

“We did. I could have kissed you at any point in that stupid thing sitting like that.”

Silence fell between them, but they both knew what the other was thinking.

They only lasted minutes, until finally, Eddie decided to be the braver of the two. “I could kiss you here…”

Silence, again.

Eddie could feel Richie’s eyes boring down on him like laser beams right into his skull. A shiver ran through him as he worked up the courage again to look up at the other man. And finally, he did.

Richie’s eyes were soft, his face full of hope, joy, and _love_ , but the expression wasn’t anything Eddie hadn’t seen before. He just now understood what it meant. _Oh_.

The smaller man shifted, situating himself closer to the man beneath him. The hand on Richie’s chest travelled up his neck to cup his jaw, and Eddie saw his face change in an instant. Suddenly they were fifteen again, cuddled together in that stupid hammock, closer than what was probably deemed to be appropriate for a friendly setting. In all the time Eddie had known Richie, he’d boasted about himself being the one and only “Trashmouth”. That filthy fucking mouth that once bragged about all the tits he’d seen in high school was now lolled open with an expression of shy nervousness.

“What’s wrong?” Eddie frowned, his thumb stroking Richie’s cheek softly.

Richie blinked at him, dumbfounded. “Eds, there’s no going back from here.”

“I think we crossed that bridge when you told me you loved me like… ten minutes ago.”

“I know, I know, it’s just… is this weird?”

Eddie pulled away. “Weird? Does it feel weird?”

Richie instantly missed Eddie’s closeness, and suddenly it clicked. “Not weird in that way, it’s… I like it… a lot.” He pulled Eddie back in closer, his hand coming to the other man’s waist. “But I’m scared Eds. I love you _so much_ , and I’ve had to hold it in until now.”

“Sweetheart you don’t have to hold it in anymore.”

“I—yeah, I think I’m starting to realize that.” He chuckled. “But I don’t think it’s like a switch I can just turn off. This is like thirty-two years of friendship, and thirty years of pining in the making. I’ve only ever _dreamed_ of holding you like this. I’m honestly half convinced I’m dreaming _right now_.”

Eddie bit the bullet and leaned down, brushing his lips with Richie’s in the world’s shortest kiss. “You’re not dreaming, I’m here, I want this.”

The kiss, no matter how miniscule it was, scrambled Richie’s brain. He didn’t know _what_ he was feeling, or even how to feel about any of this. Elated, terrified, relieved, nervous, aroused, and even a little sad.

“Eddie, I want this too. But my brain is having a hard time computing that you feel the same way as I do. It’s going to take some getting used to, you know, not having to hold back how I feel, getting to touch you like this, like I’ve wanted to for a long time. I don’t think I can just dive in head first, as much as I really, _really_ want to.”

This surprised Eddie a little bit. He’s only ever known Richie to put his whole being into doing something, so the idea of potentially taking things slow was a little… disappointing.

“O-okay, we can take things slow.” Eddie moved to push himself up and off the other man again. “I’ll wait for you Richie, we don’t have to—”

“Woah!” Richie grabbed him again, securing him back in their previous position. “Slow doesn’t mean not at all, get back here Spaghetti.”

Eddie laughed. “There he is!” He could hear Richie’s heart pounding rhythmically in his chest.

“Here I am.” Richie let out a breath, which ruffled Eddie’s soft hair again. “I’m sorry if I can’t be in this 100% yet.”

“You don’t have to apologize Rich, I get it. There’s bound to be some weirdness after all this time of just being friends.”

“Thanks Eds.” His hand moved up Eddie’s body as Eddie’s had done to his earlier, and tilted his chin towards him. Eddie took the hint, situating himself closer to the other man once again, but slowly, as if not to frighten him. Their eyes closed slowly as their noses brushed, and they stalled, breathing the other in. Finally, Richie closed the gap, brushing their lips together chastely.

It was nothing like how Eddie imagined kissing Richie would be. He always imagined Richie would be a good kisser (who imagines their crush being a bad kisser?), but he never anticipated him being shy. Richie became more confident with each brush of their lips, and it was still the tamest kisses Eddie had ever partaken in. But they still made his toes curl in spine tingling pleasure.

They kissed lazily, heat growing between them as Eddie’s tongue decided to join the party. “Sorr—” he started, but never finished as Richie followed suit.

A needy sounding whimper left Eddie’s throat, and Richie broke. He pulled away from Eddie, breathing heavily and red faced.

“Too much?”

The other man nodded, eyes on the ceiling.

“It’s okay baby, we can stop. Maybe we should go to bed, it’s getting late.” Eddie sat up, letting Richie calm down.

“Okay. Hey Eddie, will you stay with me tonight?”

“Of course.” Richie led Eddie to his bedroom, pulling him into the queen-sized bed beside him. “Rich, I’ll let you lead, but can I kiss you some more?”

He nodded, putting his glasses on the bedside table. “I’d like that. But nothing more, if that’s okay.”

“That’s okay, we can go as fast or as slow as you want. I’m already there when you are sweetheart, so whenever you’re ready.”

“Sorry Eds, you’ll have to wait to see my monster schlong.”

Eddie laughed as the tender moment fizzled. “Oh my god.”

“I can’t help it! Felt too sentimental all at once. Humor is my wall babe.”

“I know.” Eddie said, curling himself around Richie in his bed, and pecking him lightly on the lips. “I know.”

Eddie’s lips moved against Richie’s languidly; they became less and less hesitant with each kiss, and soon, sank down into the warm, hazy pleasure of each other. Richie pulled away to bury his face in Eddie’s neck, lightly kissing and nipping the skin there. This time, it was Eddie pulling away.

“Richie, Rich, we’re getting dangerously close to the point of no return here.”

Eyebrows raised, Richie pulled away, chuckling. “Shit babe, _this_ is all it takes? Glad to see the Tozier charm hasn’t worn off.”

Eddie shoved Richie. “Fuck you, it’s been a while, okay? Kinda hard to get any when you’re in love with your idiot best friend.”

“Okay yeah, relatable.” Richie lounged back against the pillows, drawing Eddie towards him again. “Dude, we’re not gonna last two minutes when we finally do it, are we.”

“Do it? What are we, twelve? Just say sex Richie, and no, it’s going to be a short ride.”

Richie let out a bellowing laugh. “Good thing you’re just tall enough to reach the ride’s minimum height requirement.”

“Shut the fuck up I’m _average height_.”

Just like that, the dust settled and the two of them fell back into their regular routine. It felt normal, Richie teasing Eddie to no end, Eddie lecturing him for one reason or another, but at the same time, everything had changed. Richie’s mind didn’t have to wander off to think about the consequences of pressing a kiss to Eddie’s temple, he could just do it, and Eddie could burrow in Richie’s shoulder without worry.

It would get easier as time passed, and soon it would feel as easy as breathing. Their predictions were correct, their first time _was_ a short ride, they fumbled awkwardly, but it was perfect because it was _them_. And soon enough, Richie couldn’t even remember why he was nervous about this. All his fears seemed silly in hindsight.

The two of them were inevitable.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be like 300 words max lol. I know from personal experience how awkward the transition from friends to lovers can be, and I thought that would resonate with Richie. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
